"We wanted people to realize how the building is anchored with its four pillars in the ground," Alain Moatti, the architect in charge of the renovation, told le Journal du Dimanche, the French Sunday newspaper, noted The Telegraph.

Eiffel Tower officials hope visitors will want to spend more time on the first level instead of racing off to better views on the more popular second and third levels.

The Eiffel Tower renovations also included updating the pavilions, improving wheelchair access to the outer platform that boasts a panoramic view of Paris, and adding braille to signs and displays, according to The Guardian. A cinema room now shows historic and recent films of the tower as it celebrates its 125th anniversary.

"Originally it was a challenge of engineering innovation; today the challenge is to continue that spirit, by modernizing, renovating, reinterpreting the Eiffel Tower while remaining true to its history," Jean-François Martins, deputy mayor of Paris, said, according to The Guardian. "It's a process of permanent reflection."

About 7 million people visit the Eiffel Tower each year, 85 percent of them tourists from outside of France, according to The Telegraph.

The recent renovation marked the third major facelift of the first floor since the tower first opened. The first makeover in 1937 removed the original ornamental pavilions and they were later covered in mirrors in 1981.
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